BILL NUMBER: AB 2117	CHAPTERED  09/27/00

	CHAPTER   735
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 27, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   SEPTEMBER 25, 2000
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 31, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   AUGUST 29, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 28, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 18, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 8, 2000
	AMENDED IN SENATE   JUNE 21, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 26, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 16, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 3, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 12, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MARCH 27, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Wayne
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Machado and Strom-Martin)

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2000

   An act relating to watershed protection.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2117, Wayne.  Watershed protection.
   Existing law provides for a watershed protection program, and
provides funds to assist in implementing watershed plans to reduce
flooding, control erosion, improve water quality, and improve aquatic
and terrestrial species habitats, to restore natural systems of
groundwater recharge, native vegetation, waterflows, and riparian
zones, to restore the beneficial uses of waters of the state in
watersheds, and to provide matching funds for federal grant programs.

   This bill would require the Secretary of the Resources Agency and
the State Water Resources Control Board to select 3 watershed
protection projects in order to evaluate the existing collaborative
and cooperative mechanism between the Resources Agency, the
Environmental Protection Agency, federal agencies, local agencies,
landowners, and environmental groups to determine whether the process
can be streamlined for the preparation and implementation of
comprehensive watershed management plans that protect and improve
water quality.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) California has been implementing watershed protection programs
pursuant to a number of state and federal programs and funding
mechanisms.
   (b) Collaborative efforts among federal, state, and local
agencies, local stakeholder groups, landowners, and environmental
groups are very important to the overall success of watershed
protection programs.
   (c) Voluntary watershed management programs can be an important
means of achieving watershed protection and enhancement.
   (d) California needs to evaluate how voluntary watershed programs
can be structured to better coordinate and comply with the
requirements of applicable federal, state, and local programs,
statutes, and regulations so that voluntary watershed programs can
become viable mechanisms for watershed protection and enhancement.
  SEC. 2.  (a) The California Stream and Watershed Protection Project
is hereby established.
   (b) The Secretary of the Resources Agency and the State Water
Resources Control Board shall select three watershed protection
projects from all qualified applications submitted to the board for
the project pursuant to this section.  The selected watershed
protection projects shall be chosen from different geographic regions
in the state.
   (c) The projects selected shall be used to evaluate the existing
collaborative and cooperative mechanisms between the Resources Agency
and the entities within the agency, the Environmental Protection
Agency and its boards, departments, and offices, federal agencies,
local agencies, local stakeholder groups, landowners, and
environmental groups, to determine whether the process can be
streamlined for the preparation and implementation of comprehensive
watershed management plans, including voluntary watershed management,
that protect and improve water quality.
   (d) In implementing this chapter, the Resources Agency and the
State Water Resources Control Board shall focus on the coordination
of various watershed management plan elements, including, but not
necessarily limited to, watershed assessments, watershed planning,
watershed monitoring, evaluation and adaptive management, funding,
outreach, and education.  Selected projects shall be consistent with
the requirements of applicable federal and state statutes and
regulations.
   (e) The State Water Resources Control Board, in conjunction with
the Resources Agency, shall also evaluate whether voluntary watershed
management programs are an effective and viable mechanism for
statewide watershed protection and enhancement.
   (f) The Resources Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency
shall jointly submit to the Legislature, on or before February 1,
2002, a report that evaluates the pilot projects and makes
recommendations, including possible changes to state law, on how to
improve the coordination among federal, state, and local agencies and
other interested parties in the implementation of watershed
protection programs.  In addition, the report shall include all of
the following information:
   (1) The baseline status of the watershed before the project,
incorporating available data involving water quality,
geomorphological conditions, the presence of endangered species, and
other baseline conditions of interest to the watershed community, the
State Water Resources Control Board, or the Resources Agency.  The
baseline status shall also include a description of the state of the
watershed at the time the report is prepared, including a description
of the science based standards used to choose and evaluate the
watershed project.
   (2) Whether a stakeholder process was used to implement the
watershed program, and a description of how that process worked and
suggestions for improving that process for future projects.
   (3) Recommendations on whether a broad-based public advisory
committee is needed to make recommendations on funding watershed
projects based on principles of general scientific credibility, and
whether a standardized process is necessary to select future
projects.
